Call of Duty
by tgfoy
Summary: Written in response to a write a chapter about a character from the battle of Hogwarts collaboration challenge on another site, this was my take on how the battle unfolded from an unexpected participants view and goes into the aftermath a little.


**Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. anything you recognise from her books belong to her, anything else is from me. No money is being made by me from this work.  
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**The Call of Duty?**

**By Tgfoy.**

He was exhausted, but they would not leave him alone to rest. I wished that they would, but they were all so caught up in celebrating his victory they could not see his need, his discomfort of all attention. He had never liked hero worship, I could tell that about him even from the first time I saw him, even though I had not particularly liked him then. Nor had I taken the time to get to know him then, it was not my concern then, not until his God father's death, anyway. The crowd surrounding him were not his friends, but they had fought alongside each other and they all wanted a piece of him, to say they had been with him this day. Less than an hour ago they had believed him dead, only I knew he wasn't. I alone could feel that he lived. Yes, I knew his soul had been caught between this life and the next - I felt it. I also felt a soul depart him totally. I had felt his soul pull itself back to this existence and knew it was different than before - it was like a mask had been removed and he was now wholly himself, nothing more and nothing less. Still, as he was carried to the castle and they were all summoned out to see his body, even as they protested the truth of it, only I knew it to be a lie and I prepared. I knew the battle would resume , knew I would be part of it, to help him even though he would not call for it. It was simply the right thing to do. I gathered the others of my kind who were in the school and they eagerly agreed. They hurriedly gathered any weapon they could find, just as it had been in the days the castle was built. I felt his brief excitement as I heard a crowd approaching outside and the battle resumed. I knew he had concealed himself with the cloak and that thrill had been because his plan had worked so far. We charged up the stairs as the battle entered the school.

Of them all, I was the odd one out, I was bound to a wizard, not this castle. Still, we charged up to the fight to protect the school and our world. I wore the locket he had given me; it swung freely as we ploughed into the grown witches and wizards fighting in the entrance, the Dark Ones being pushed back by the crowd and the centaurs. There we were alongside witches and wizards, powerful creatures and students all fighting side by side as equals. We were attacking any we could reach, stabbing and clubbing, the Dark Ones shocked that we dared to injure, even kill them. I saw spells appearing from nowhere. That was him, he was under his cloak, I realised he was choosing the time to reveal himself, using his supposed death to our advantage. I fought to head towards him, to protect him as the battle burst into the Great Hall. I saw the tall, pale-skinned, bald figure of the Dark Lord and a chill went down my spine. This was not the first time I had seen him, nor was it the closest I had been to him, but this time would be different. This time I would not have to follow his orders, this time I would not have to watch my bonded die. This time my duty was not clouded by orders; I had none. I was doing what I knew was right, I overcame my fear of Riddle, knowing my bonded one would go where the Dark one was, I followed him into the Great Hall. My friends continued to fight, I saw one die at the hands of a Dark Follower and screamed in rage as I leapt at the wizard. He looked up at me, his eyes widened in shock just as my knife pierced his throat and I landed on his chest. The force of my landing knocked him backwards and I released my hold of the blade that was stuck where it had entered and rolled off him as he hit the floor. My army continued to fight the looks of shocked amazement on the Dark Ones faces as we attacked might have been amusing at another time.

I looked round for another weapon and spotted the Weasley matriarch kill one of the last of my old family, I nearly reacted in rage until I remembered my loyalty was now elsewhere, it was in that moment I fully realised I was free of them and my heart sang for joy as I remembered the kindness of my bound one. It was at that moment that a silence fell and a shield went up, separating us from the Dark Lord and one other. The other figure had his back to me as the two began circling, Riddle seemingly recovering his composure from a shock, he started to taunt the other. Like everyone else, I froze to the spot, watching the two as they prepared to for the inevitable dual, their slow pacing brought the other's face into view. My instincts went into overdrive. I desperately looked for a way to get past the shield to protect him, but there was no way in. His eyes glanced in my direction, but did not fall on me, rather the person next to me. I looked up and gasped, my senses sang, it was her, she may not know it yet, but I was certain, this was his soul mate. I found myself hoping she knew, I did, but then my kind could always sense this kind of thing. I watched her carefully as she nervously nibbled her lips, her eyes betraying her love for the man facing the Dark Lord alone. If the inevitable duel ended badly for us then I would protect her, or die trying.

Suddenly, the two stopped circling and cast a spell, I couldn't believe my ears, he had cast Expelliarmus against the Killing curse. For a moment, my heart sank. The two spells met, the green one deflected back to Riddle. The Dark Lord's wand flew into the air as he was hit by his own spell.

That moment was a strangely beautiful sight as elements conspired to create an almost surreal view. All present seemed to hold their breath, whether for the same reason or not I may never know, but for me the memory of the death of Tom Riddle will always be an aesthetically amazing moment. The Spell struck just as the rising sun illuminated my bonded, causing him to appear to glow, his outstretched hand grasping the wand expertly as it completed its graceful arc from the Dark Lord. Riddle, with shock on his face, fell backwards and into the shadows as his lifeless body crumpled in on itself, then struck the wall. My Master stood, looking placidly at the wand in his hand, shrouded in a halo of the early dawn light, oblivious to the image we saw. There was a moment of silence as the shield fell, then a loud cheer rang out as many ran forward to congratulate my Master. Quickly, he was hoist onto shoulders as the crowd celebrated. Others surrounded any Death Eaters they could, though some did escape, it was then I saw the wand close to the floor pointing at his soul mate. The spell left its tip. With a yell, I erected my shield to protect the red-haired mate of my Master and the spell bounced harmlessly into the air. Another wizard grabbed the wand and knelt on the hand that had held it whilst I bound the injured Death Eater who had tried to harm her. I looked round, she hadn't noticed, she only had eyes for him. I smiled, she would never know and that's as it should be. The wizard who held the Death Eater looked at me and nodded. I bowed back and he dragged the captured one away.

The celebrations were tough on my Master. As I said, he hated the attention, but his soul mate found them much tougher. She could get nowhere near him, though she was desperate to get to him. I saw their eyes meet once, both sets filled with longing before the crowd dragged him off again. Later, as things began to calm and he had finally managed to gain a seat, I saw her try to pick her way across the hall to him. Suddenly the blonde girl next to him stood up and yelled pointing towards the ceiling, everyone in the hall looked where she pointed, when we looked back he was gone. His soul mate almost screamed in frustration then sought out her brother, whom she knew was close to my Master, but he and the bushy haired witch were leaving the hall. She sighed and returned to the bench with her parents.

It was over an hour later when he called me. I had begun to wonder if it would ever come. I gladly took him some food to his bedside in Gryffindor Tower. After a while, I sensed him fall asleep and went to leave clean clothes and clear up the remains of the meal. As I collected the empty plate, the door to the room slowly opened. I hid, if this was an attacker there was no need to make my presence known until I was needed. I need not have worried - it was his soul mate. She climbed on the bed next to him, careful not to disturb him, and lay stroking his hair. Others entered the room and climbed into the other beds, her brother and mother both tried to persuade her to move to a different room, she simply waved them away, her father finally told them to leave her. As he said it, my Master's arm reached up protectively round her shoulders, though he slept on. She smiled as they left the room and her brother climbed onto a bed with the bushy haired witch, his mother frowning and about to protest again when her husband simply dragged her from the room.

I waited, still hidden, until the sound of people sleeping filled the air. Silently, I crept out. She was still awake, but did not notice me. Quietly, I placed a sleeping charm on her; she needed rest too. As she drifted into sleep I assured her, "Don't worry, Mistress, I will watch over you both. No harm will come to you or Harry Potter whilst you sleep. Kreacher will make sure of that."


End file.
